Captain Per Mertesacker is out until the new year and Gabriel for the next eight weeks, while Laurent Koscielny is not yet ready to return after competing at Euro 2016.

Rookie pair Calum Chambers and Rob Holding, signed from League One Bolton Wanderers this summer, were paired together in Sunday's season opener against Liverpool, who inflicted a 4-3 defeat on Arsene Wenger's side.

West Brom appear determined to keep Evans out of Arsenal's clutches, however, despite paying an initial £6 million for the former Manchester United man a year ago.

According to the Mail, the Gunners have opened talks over a move for Atletico Madrid's £40 million-rated Uruguay international Jose Gimenez, while the Sun reports that Valencia's Shkodran Mustafi and Fenerbahce's Simon Kjaer are also targets.